The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-08
Hints Oh Pastoral Visitation.
By \ COUNTRY PASTOR.

By y COU UNIkN pASIOh.
Put aside all formality and reserve.
IF you are distant and formal, those
you visit will be distant and formal.
BE cordial and social, even if received
with apparent GOODNESS which cold
hess is generally more than half tim
idity, and will soon wear off. Have
something in mind to talk about, in
which humble and common people
can join with you. Remember it. re-
quires tact and study to make pastoral
calls. A minister is to be pitied who
can not, or rather who will not, school
and adapt himself to this. Talk SIM
pie language about common things.
Put your theology and your dictiona-
ry into your heart, and throw away
that great, kingly, ministerial reserve,
and go to peoples houses as q neigh6or
and friend. Get near to them. No
airs of saintliness and good clothes
once got the good will of peculiar
family by knocking at the back door.
That was the "kind of man for
them ~
Visit all the families! Some minis
ters call only OH those that go to
church. That is like repairing the
wall where it is in good condition, and
neglecting it where it has tumbled
down. Very pleasant and very natu-
raj, maybe; but it is not the way to
win souls. Our Saviour went to peo-
pile. "To every creature" does not
mean to the families of responsibility
and good parlors. The weedy part of
the garden needs most hoeing. Call
oftenest on the negligent families.
Don't give them chance to feel slight
ed; don't neglect the negligent.
Visit short. Five to fifteen minutes
will generally answer. A great deal
may be said and done in ten minutes.
Don't wear people out. Don't forget
that their time is fully occupied.
Short visits, on the whole, do most
good.
Call on people in their trouble. Sick
nesses and losses and sorrows are al
ways opening doors to the man of God.
If you don't 60 near people in their
adversities, it will be of little avail to
60 to them in their properties. Ttey
all want friends in trouble. A tear OF
sympathy will move men and women
into whose crusted souls sermons
never entered. Be sure to go where
sickness and sorrow open the door /;
don't wait to be sent for!
Be sunshiny and pleasant. Smiles
will do more missionary work than
frowns. Visit the hard places in your
happiest moods, if you have moods.
1t wants CHEEKY and joyous man to
make pastoral visitation success.
The more heaven he can carry in his
face the better.
Make your visits largely to the chill.
dren-these are the hope Of
the future; and they are also the best
door to parents hearts here and now.
Every little sympathy of kindness or
Gift to the child knocks off prejudice
about the older heart. If you can get
the children to love and welcome you,
the way is open to all the rest. IA
little child shall lead them"
Have sympathy with peoples hu-
miliations. 1t is better, on the whole,
not to have them know when the pas
tor is coming; but common people
can't be expected to be always in shape
to receive company. Hence be un-
willing to be considered company. Be
one of their own number. Do not
seem to be annoyed by their confusion,
or hurry, or poverty. If need be, sit
down at the very humblest table, and
make yourself agreeable. knew one
case where the first step in leading a
family out to church, and into the way
of life, was the minister's eating hon.
iny and milk with them.
Drop in religious appeals in a famil-
lar and natural way. People don't
want to be preached to in their own
houses, but they can be set thinking
without knowing it. Tt will defeat
the object you have in view to talk re-
ligion all the time. A few words are
better than many. No pious plati-
tudes. Let every word for Jesus be
one Of force and meaning, though
seeming to be unplanned. Be natural
and easy when you speak OF Jesus:
They will remember the word dropped
in plain and common conversation.
Pray-if sanctified. God-guided COM
mon sense seems to require it. Some
times the offer to pray does more hurt
than good. I have known ministers
to hang on and pray under such absurd
circumstances as to produce merri-
ment and jest after they are gone.
Prayer can not be forced. Better 60
from the family with laughter, in
place, than with prayer out Of place.
Some afternoons 1 have prayed in
every house, and some afternoons not
in any. The way seemed to be set
tied, and the shrewd pastor will gener-
ally find cunning spirit of appropri-
ateness that will settle this question
for him.
Do your principal praying before
you get there. Prayer for them before
you leave the study will smooth the
way wonderfully. You can better
pray with them after you have prayed
for them. After all, the most "effect.
ual prayer" of the whole pastoral
visitation" is the prayer before yoatr
start from home!
The same trouble comes to people Of
widely different employment. Tho the
atrical travellers, or troups, are having
violent grief over the fact that the opera
ton of the Interstate Commerce Law will
drive them out Of business. If they can